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I'm playing the SR2020 Gold demo, and I've noticed that when I offer any kind of treaty, the other nation always counters by demanding $100 mil to sign.

Why is this?

I'm playing as Ethiopia, and experimenting a bit with diplomacy. Trying to reach various types of agreements with a range of nations...Haiti, Argentina, North Korea, etc. Even when offering a treaty for something as mutually useful as criminal extradition, the other party demands $100 mil to sign.

Because countries are not straight-forward to deal with. Unless they like you a lot, it is likely that the AI will want to get something out of it when they have to make a deal with you. Surely, you can imagine that establishing diplomatic relationships with other countries cannot be easy for a third-world country like Ethiopia - you have to make it interesting for the other countries.

Logically, criminal extradition would might be mutually beneficial, but in the game, this treaty sadly has no effect other than to make the other country like you more for having negociated a treaty with you. It's purely cosmetic, whereas free labour and free trade have small effects on immigration/emigration and economy respectively.

Thanks much for your reply. What you are saying makes sense.

It often seems like there is little or no logic to diplomacy. Or to trading, for that matter, at least in the demo. I want to barter commodities I have an excess of for commodities other countries have an excess of, but it has not worked very well. Countries that appear to have little or no uranium still want me to give them uranium plus $100 mil in return for consumer goods that they have in large quantities.

Presumably, countries have to like me "a lot" before equal value exchanges are possible, right? Which means I will have to bribe my way to good relations.

I bought the original SR years ago, and played the 2020 demo a while back. I've decided to take another look at SR2020.

Do the AI-controlled countries ever approach the human-controlled country with treaty offers?

If the button is red they will refuse, if it is yellow they will request 100M (or sometimes more, my current game they like to ask for around 700M), if green they will accept outright. Try putting a few dollars into the pot before you send to get it to green, it might end up cheaper than the 100M.

To answer your question if the AI ever approaches the player with diplomatic offers, the answer is yes. The AI will even offer his reserve units for trade depending on your version of the game (Gold and Global Conflict). Your allies or friends might also offer you aid in the form of free goods or cash if your economy is in trouble. The AI also does these trades with each other, including aiding each other.

I often make a counteroffer if they ask for that $100 mil "finder's fee", I replace the fee with a tech and they usually accept (since most if not all tech are valued at more than 100 mil), so I get to keep my cash, plus the tech would give a greater relationship bonus (i think).